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New Mexico’s attorney general pushes new social media safety laws after $900m court victory over Meta
The Guardian • • general
Key Points:
- New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is pushing for stronger child safety measures in technology companies, building on a landmark court victory against Meta, which was fined nearly $1 billion for enabling harm to children on its platforms.
- Torrez is collaborating with state lawmakers on two new bills aimed at broadening consumer protections and child safety regulations to include emerging technologies like AI and chatbots, with support from Democratic gubernatorial nominee Deb Haaland.
- In a second phase of litigation, Meta was ordered to pay $567 million to fund youth mental health services and implement reforms such as age verification and time-use limits for minors, though Meta plans to appeal the ruling.
- Torrez is pursuing additional lawsuits against Meta and an AI company over child safety concerns and aims to create a legal framework that other states and municipalities can replicate to address technology-related harms to children.
- Despite the legal successes, Torrez emphasizes the need for federal legislation on child online safety, criticizing the lack of strong action in Congress and highlighting ongoing debates over privacy and data security related to age verification requirements.
